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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Recent Highlights

I recently finished my 2 month teaching stint and, with the onset of Summer holidays, am relishing working afternoons only. Holidays started 10 days ago, with what will go down as one of my favourite weekends in Phnom Penh.

First up was dinner at the river side and then a long anticipated trip to Dreamland, an amusement park. The combining factors of growing up on a farm in a small town and being an avid reader meant certain things were formed in my imagination as a child that have had a hold on me ever since. Things like circuses, hot air balloons, Brownies and Girl Scouts, and amusement parks to name a few.

Imagine my delight at visiting a bonafide theme park.. Besides the Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg and some other rides in East London, I'v never been to an amusement park!

First up was the bumper cars, during which I felt my spine disconnect and hang in mid air on 2 occassions after being rammed from the side. As they say, it is better to ram than to be rammed and so my goal became to avoid getting hit, a moderately successful endeavour. In among taking various posed shots with statues of Batman, Superman and newlyweds we made our way to Jack's Ice Cream. Ordering ice cream proves to be the greatest challenge of the night as the lady behind the counter had lightning fast movements and before a sentence was complete had handed over an ice cream holding the flavours you may or may not have been attempting to ask for. Coke floats, unexpectedly flavoured ice cream found it's way into a few hands before we got the hang of it.. The trick was to get your request out really fast but also be watching carefully and halt her mid scoop if she was putting on the wrong flavour. Nevertheless the ice cream was delicious!

Next up was the Ferris Wheel. The company was good, the breeze was cool and the city lights provided a romantic view. I loved it. Unfortunately we had arrived quite late and so the park closed before we could go on any other rides but I've sussed it out and next time there shall be whirling tea cups, a carousel, swings and maybe even some ride where you get strapped in and flung around and around..maybe..

Making an awesome new friend

Madagascar 3 in 3D (watch this awesome preview if you're not yet convinced you should see it)

Getting whatsapp - making communication with faraway friends much easier.

Chancing upon a great read, "Peace Like A River" by Leif Enger. It's a captivating story of fierce, unconditional love and redemption and is a lyrical and evocatively written book

Having time to myself

Devotions on a quiet beach in Sihanoukville

Those moments in conversation where your heart soars with the resonance of another's words